Show case refrigerator



Sept. 17, 1935. 1' E. E. SANDERS 2,014,590

SHOW CASE REFRIGERATOR Filed May 1, 1953 IL M I INVENTOR. 817mm & 5mm den;

1 1w 9 W A ORNEYJ Patented Sept. 17, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SHOW CASE REFRIGERATOR Ernest E. Sanders, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 1, 1933, Serial No. 668,768

2 Claims. (Cl. 62-895) This invention relates to refrigerated display cabinets of the sort frequently used in stores and shops dealing in perishable articles of food such as meats, dairy products, and the like. One of the diificulties which has been encountered in the manufacture of such refrigerated display cases having transparent front portions has been the tendency of the show windows thereof to gather condensate and so interfere with the visibility of the displayed goods. Ordinarily the condensation only occurs on the lower portion of the windows, although it frequently extends more than half way up the glass. Many attempts have been made to remedy this defect by expedients such as double and triple glazing of the windows, with the provision of various air cell arrangements between the panes of glass. Such arrangements which require the customer to look through a plurality of panes of glass are also objectionable,

however, inasmuch as they reduce visibility, dimming and destroying the brightness and attractiveness of a display by giving it a dull, clouded or tinted appearance, because of the reduced transparency and multiplying of tints and imperfections in the glass. They further interfere with vision by increasing stray reflections.

An important object of this invention is the provision of a refrigerated display cabinet having but a single pane of glass in the front show window through which the customer observes the goods therewithin, but so constructed that condensation upon such front window cannot occur.

A further object is the provision in such a refrigerated cabinet of an improved transparent baffle arrangement for controlling air circulation in a manner enabling the use of but a single glass front show window with virtually no sacrifice of insulating efficiency.

Still another object is the arrangement of the parts of a refrigerated display case in such manner as to provide improved controlled circulation of air currents within the case.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, wherein reference is made to the accompanying drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment of my invention and wherein similar reference numerals designate similar parts throughout the several views.

In the drawing:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerated display case incorporating the principles of this invention, and I Figure 2 is a view of the same partly in end elevation and partly in vertical section.

Referring now to the drawing, reference character l0 designates the solid rear wall portion of a refrigerated show case. The case here shown is of a size and construction adapting it to rest directly upon the floor, and designed to serve as a I counter as well as a display case. The walls may be insulated in any suitable fashion. The insula tion forms no part of the invention and accordingly need not be considered in detail herein. If of suitable material the walls might be solid, as 10 shown. The front wall l0 may be of somewhat lesser height than the rear wall l0, and arranged to cooperate with the end walls II to support a sloping transparent front show window l2. The upper portion ll! of the rear wall is also inclined, 15 and rabbeted to support doors l4 through which access may be had to the interior of the case from the rear. A flat platform I5 finishes the top of the case, while the floor of the display portion is formed by a slanting panel l6 which, as shown in 20 Figure 2, stops short of both the front and back of the cabinet and inclines downward toward the front of the case.

Cooling coils l8 are arranged along the rear wall of the case behind the floor panel l5 and 25 partly above and partly below the same, being so arranged that the majority of the air circulating around and over the floor panel Hi from front to back of the cabinet, as indicated by the arrows 20, must pass over the cooling coils. A hood por- 30 tion 22 preferably overhangs the cooling coils to restrict access to the coils of any air save that circulating substantially horizontally in the manner shown, thus promoting horizontal travel of the air currents close to the floor I6, and any goods 35 which may be arranged thereupon.

Another partitioning panel 24, arranged below and spaced from the floor panel l6, defines an air duct through which cooled air may pass to the front of the box, as indicated by the arrows, after 40 falling into the duct through the vertical back passage 25 in which the coils l8 are arranged. The tendency of the air to fall through the vertical duct 25 of course results from its being cooled by the coils therein. The air rises through 45 the front vertical passage 26 and then moves toward the rear of the box, passing over and absorbing heat from the floor portion of the case and any goods arranged therein.

A bafile or deflector plate 30 is so arranged 50 across the front of the case, inside and spaced from the front show window l2 and tightly fitted against the top of the front wall ID, as to prevent the air which rises through the vertical front passage 26 from striking the show window. 55

If such air were allowed to strike the show window it would frequently chill at least the lower portion of this glass to a temperature below the dew point of the outside air, the moisture load of which would resultantly tend to condense thereupon. The baiile 30 is preferably transparent glass and extends as high as or higher than the hood 22. Its positioning in the manner disclosed absolutely prevents any of the cold air circulating near the bottom of the box from striking the show window, and so completely eliminates the possibility of condensation thereupon, while since the baifle is quite low, it interferes practically not at all with the visibility of the display, almost all of which can be seen by persons of normal height without looking through more than one sheet of glass, that is the window itself. Furthermore the dead air space between the baille and show window acts as a very eifective insulator, preventing the lower portion of the show window from being chilled by the cold air near the bottom of the case to a point where condensation of moisture thereupon from the outside air can occur,

The space between the battle and show window also forms a convenient receptacle for price tags or small package goods, which are held by the bailie plate in a position in which they may be conveniently viewed by customers. It will be further appreciated that this space is easily accessible for cleaning, whereas the insulating spaces between the panes of double glazed constructions now used can be cleaned only with considerable difficulty and expense, though they must be cleaned from time to time because they cannot be tightly sealed if the panes are of substantial size, or pressures would obviously be dangerous.

This construction will be seen, despite its many advantages, to be simpler and less expensive than previously employed methods of preventing sweating" of the windows of such show-cases, and to permit a much more attractive and brighter display of goods undimmed by the light interference caused by multiple glazing.

While it will be apparent that the illustrated embodiments of my invention herein disclosed are well calculated to adequately fulfill the objects and advantages primarily stated. it is to be understood that the invention is susceptible to variation, modification and change within the spirit and scope of the subjoined claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a refrigerated display cabinet, a display portion having an elevated floor and having an lip-draft air passage near the front and a downdraft air passage near the rear to permit air to circulate from front to back of the case over the floor and from back to front beneath the same, a front wall portion of the cabinet having a transparent show window therein and extending above the up-draft passage, and a transparent baille carried by and having a lower portion tightly secured to said front wall and having a part lying between the up-dratt passage and the show window and arranged to deflect circulating air away from the show window and toward the down-draft passage.

2. In a refrigerated display cabinet, an elevated floor, an inclined front wall having a transparent portion and extending above the floor, means defining an up-draft passage connecting the spaces below and above the floor appurtenant the front of the cabinet, means defining a downdraft passage connecting said spaces appurtenant the back of the cabinet, cooling means lying close to the floor and said down-draft passage to induce circulation around the floor and through said passages, transparent baflling means including a relatively low plate extending longitudinally of and tightly secured to and carried by the front wall but spaced therefrom, and arranged near the floor to deflect the rising air away from the transparent portion of said wall and toward the rear, and additional bailling means directing air circulation horizontally over and through said cooling means in two directions.

ERNEST E. SANDERS. 

